1. Field
Embodiments of the disclosure relate generally to the field of optical systems for laser transmission and more particularly to embodiments to combine multiple sub-aperture incoherent laser sources using a self-referenced interferometer generated hologram of the optical path to the target on a Spatial Light Modulator to remove optical path aberrations and form a spatially overlapped far field spot that is range independent.
2. Background
Combining of multiple incoherent laser beams for delivery through a common aperture provides for increased power and other desired characteristics. Current approaches for combination of incoherent beams require separate beam control or adaptive optics for each laser beam. Existing solutions require visible overlap of the beams to start and knowledge of the target range to maintain overlap. Additionally very precise piston, tip and tilt tolerances are required in the beam control system and optical trains to maintain the beams within the alignment ranges of the control loops. Existing solutions combine the beams with active steering systems for each beam using a static grating requiring separate piston, tip, and tilt control on each sub-aperture and do not add the benefit of adaptive optics to also compensate for the path to the target. Optical systems which maintain the required high tolerances are complex and expensive. Additionally, conventional adaptive optical devices and controls are fragile and require constant tuning therefore becoming impractical for fieldable systems.
It is therefore desirable to provide a laser beam control system which reduces complexity, size, weight, and power, reduces the adaptive optics requirements and reduces cost while improving far field beam quality.